Person: Henry Burns

Stephen Cadogan: IFA figures challenging but could have been worse

The number of fully paid-up members eligible to vote in the upcoming IFA elections stands at 75,501, said IFA National Chairman Jer Bergin last week.

Thu, 31 Mar, 2016

First votes cast in IFA leadership elections

The first votes in the election for the next president and deputy president of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) were cast last night.

Wed, 30 Mar, 2016

Next Government must prioritise farm incomes, say farmers voting for new IFA president

The Irish Farmers Association is calling on the next Government to prioritise farm incomes.

Tue, 29 Mar, 2016

IFA: ‘Opportunity’ for cattle trade with Turkey

There is a real opportunity for Ireland to open the live cattle export market to Turkey, according to the Irish Farmers Association.

Fri, 25 Mar, 2016

Denis Lehane: IFA election about fixing in-house problems of representative group

This is a very unusual IFA presidential election. In the past, IFA elections were always fought on how the organisation could be best steered to fix the many problems that exist in farming. 

Thu, 18 Feb, 2016

Egypt open for Irish live cattle trade

Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has agreed a deal with Egypt to enable live cattle imports from Ireland.

Tue, 16 Feb, 2016

Every vote will count in IFA elections in April

IFA debates in every county before votes are cast.

Thu, 11 Feb, 2016

IFA hosts executive debates in Tipperary

IFA hosted the first in its series of regional debates last night in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, as it prepares for executive elections in April.

Tue, 09 Feb, 2016

Beef merger not notified or referred to CCPC

The proposed transaction between ABP Food Group and Slaney Foods has not been notified to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), nor has it been referred for examination, according to a clarification from the CCPC, following our article last week.

Thu, 04 Feb, 2016

Farmers and co-ops fearful of EU trade talks with Latin American trade bloc Mercosur

Farmers and co-ops have warned the European Commission the possible relaunching of free trade talks between Brussels and the Latin American trade bloc Mercosur would have a catastrophic effect on agriculture, especially beef.

Mon, 01 Feb, 2016

IFA urges beef farmers to remain confident on price

IFA national livestock chairman Henry Burns is urging farmers to resist attempts by meat factories to erode confidence in the beef trade by threatening price and weight cuts.

Tue, 19 Jan, 2016

‘Promising’ outlook for cattle exports this year IFA predicts

The prospects for the live cattle export trade look much more promising for 2016, the Irish Farmers Association has predicted.

Tue, 12 Jan, 2016

Interim IFA president fails in nomination bid

Three people are officially in the running to becoming the new president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), but the previous interim incumbent is not among them.

Thu, 07 Jan, 2016

Food sector’s competition concerns over ABP-Slaney merger

IFA, ICSA and Mairead McGuinness MEP have asked the competition authorities to examine the potential market impacts of ABP Food Group’s acquisition of a 50% stake in Slaney Foods.

Mon, 21 Dec, 2015

UK, Irish beef price gap widens

The gap between the beef prices which Irish and UK meat processors are paying to farmers has widened by 329% over a 10-year period, says IFA national livestock committee chairman Henry Burns.

Thu, 17 Dec, 2015

IFA warns that EU trade deal with South American Mercosur will be damaging for beef trade

A trade deal between the EU and the Mercosur group of South American countries will be extremely damaging for agriculture here especially the beef trade, the Irish Farmers Association has warned.

Wed, 16 Dec, 2015

IFA and ICSA concerned at merger of meat firms ABP and Slaney Foods

Farmer groups IFA and ICSA have raised competition concerns following ABP Foods’ acquisition of a 50% share in the Slaney Foods business in the Republic of Ireland.

Tue, 08 Dec, 2015

IFA expresses frustration at export cattle prices

Farmers are very frustrated that cattle prices have not moved on to reflect higher returns from the country’s main export market in Britain and the strength of sterling, the Irish Farmers Association has claimed.

Wed, 02 Dec, 2015

Forum sets urgent focus on €2.27bn beef exports

The opening of new markets for the Irish beef industry, which recorded exports of €2.27bn last year, will be one of the key issues for discussion at today’s meeting of the Beef Forum.

Tue, 21 Jul, 2015

Pressure on Beef Forum to build on progress

The next meeting of the Beef Forum, this coming Tuesday, will have to build on progress by delivering on key issues, the Irish Farmers’ Association said yesterday.

Fri, 10 Jul, 2015

100 livestock animals stolen in Westmeath

An appeal has been launched following the theft of 100 animals in Westmeath.

Sat, 27 Jun, 2015

IFA calls on Coveney to convene Beef Forum

The IFA yesterday called on Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to convene a meeting of the Beef Forum to take stock of recent developments in the sector.

Tue, 16 Jun, 2015

Just under 29,000 sign up for BDGP

The Department of Agriculture received just under 29,000 applications for the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) which closed last Friday.

Thu, 11 Jun, 2015

Farmers raise beef data issues

The concerns of farmers relating to the new Beef Data and Genomics Programme have been outlined to Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney at an IFA-organised meeting in Claremorris, Co Mayo.

Thu, 04 Jun, 2015

Farmers dig in against low factory beef prices

Beef farmers are holding onto their cattle rather than accepting low factory prices, according to IFA livestock chairman Henry Burns. 

Tue, 10 Mar, 2015

US beef opportunity offers relief to home market pressures

The major increase in US beef prices, up by €1 per kg in the last year to 5.00-€5.15 per kg, represents a real opportunity for Irish grass-based beef exports, said IFA president Eddie Downey.

Mon, 09 Feb, 2015

Farm groups want Simon Coveney to take tough line with meat factories

Farm groups have urged Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to take a tougher line with meat factories in implementing outcomes agreed at a beef forum last November.

Thu, 05 Feb, 2015

IFA welcomes minister’s call on Beef Forum deal

A statement from Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney calling for the full implementation of the Beef Forum agreement on time was welcomed yesterday by the IFA. Mr Coveney said after a very difficult 2014 for beef farmers interested parties have worked hard to reach agreement.

Tue, 16 Dec, 2014

Meat factories and farmers in last ditch beef talks

Beef farmers are set to hold a 48-hour blockade outside 30 Irish meat factories from this Sunday afternoon unless processors reinstate the meat grid, the IFA has stated.

Fri, 07 Nov, 2014

Meat processors handed ultimatum by Irish farmers

The Irish Farmers Association says meat processors only have "days" to respond to their demands on beef prices.

Thu, 30 Oct, 2014

IFA: Factories cannot ignore protest

Factories cannot afford to ignore the thousands of farmers who attended beef price protests which ended yesterday, the Irish Farmers Association has warned.

Wed, 29 Oct, 2014

Thousands of farmers protest over beef prices

The first nationwide demonstrations at meat factories for almost 15 years began yesterday with thousands of farmers assembling at 30 meat plants around the country in support of IFA’s 24-hour beef price protest.

Tue, 28 Oct, 2014

24-hour beef price protests

Farmers are to stage a 24-hour beef price protest outside all of the country’s meat factories from next Monday afternoon.

Fri, 24 Oct, 2014

IFA chief threatens action over ‘intolerable’ cattle price gap

Irish Farmers Association president Eddie Downey warned yesterday that action will be taken unless beef prices rise in line with market returns.

Tue, 21 Oct, 2014

Coveney ‘must assert his authority with meat factories over price cuts’

As the crisis in the beef sector continues, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has increased pressure on Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney ahead of his meeting today with meat-processing factories.

Tue, 02 Sep, 2014

Munster protest by farmers over beef

Munster, a heartland of livestock production, last evening became the latest battleground in an escalating protest campaign by farmers over falling beef prices and specification cuts.

Sat, 30 Aug, 2014

Coveney appeals for engagement on issues confronting beef sector

Farmers and processors were urged yesterday by Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney to step up their engagement on complex issues confronting the beef sector.

Thu, 28 Aug, 2014

Simon Coveney could act as regulator for the beef industry

I refer to your editorial (August 23, The price of beef) and strongly disagree that the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney can do nothing about it. Mr Coveney has a central role to play in the beef sector.

Wed, 27 Aug, 2014